Worthy



(No Model.)

E. N. KENWORTHY.

COMBINED CURTAIN STRBTOHER AND CLOTHES HORSE.

No. 484,660. Patented Oct. 18, 1892.

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i Uivrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

p EDVARD NEVVTON-KENVVORTHY, OF OLDHAM, ENGLAND.

COMBINED CURTAIN-STRETCHER AND CLOTHES-HORSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,660, dated October18, 1892.

Application led April 12, 1892. Serial No. L128,810. (No model.)Patented in England February 21, 1891, No. 3,182.

T0 @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD NEWTON KEN- WORTHY, of Oldham, county ofLancaster, England,have invented a new and Improved Combined CurtainStretcher and Clothes- Horse, (for which I obtained Letters Patent inEngland, dated February 2l, 1891, No. 3,l82,) of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved structure whichmay be readily and expeditiously erected for use or taken apart and madeinto compact form when not required for use, and, further, to provide astructure readily adjustable to adapt it to receive curtains of varioussizes and patterns for stretching or drying the same and in whichprovision is made for enabling the curtains to be secured without theuse of permanent pins or hooks, such pins or hooks being ofteninconvenient and not always so disposed as to properly engage curtainsof certain patterns.

A further object is to provide a structure which is also serviceable asa clothes-rack, clothes-horse, or the like and in supportingdraft-screens or screens for use in magic-lantern lectures.

The invention is distinguished by side standards adjustable toward andfrom each other to suit the width of the curtain, by stretcher-bars orcross-bars vertically adjustable to suit the length of the curtain, andby various novel details, as hereinafter particularly described, anddefined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification. in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a combined curtain stretcher and clotheshorse constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an endelevation thereof. Fig. 3 isa side elevation of one of the top fixturesof the standards. Fig. i is a plan view of such ixture. Fig. 5 is a sideView of one of the brackets for supporting the cross-bars, and Fig. 6 isa plan View of such bracket.

The side standards A form the upright members of the structure and areadapted to receive feet A for sustaining them. At the top the standardsare capped by fixtures B, comprising each a socket L, fitting the end ofthe standard, and a seat b for adj ustably holdingthetop barU,saidbarbeingpreferably round in cross-section, and the seat bconsequentlybeingconcaved. Risingatoueside of the seat b is a flange b2,in which works a thumb-screw b3, carrying a clamping-head b, the saidhead ranging, preferably, the full length of the seat and havingaconvexed bearing-face for obtaining aproper bearing against the top barwithout marring or roughening the same. To the standards A are alsoadjustably secured the cross-bars or stretcher-bars D E, arranged onopposite sides of the standards, by means of brackets F. These brackets,as shown best in Figs. 5 and 6, consist each of two clamps, one forengaging its respective standard and the other for receiving andclamping one end of a cross-bar D or E.

The cross-bars and the standards A are preferably round incross-section, and hence the clamp-brackets F consist ot' two curvedarms f, cast or otherwise formed-integrally and disposed at right anglesto each other for receiving the standards and cross-bars, respectively.Each arm f has a clamp device f, similar to those described inconnection with the fixtures B. Thus it will be seen that the saidbrackets carrying the cross-bars D and E may be fixed at any elevationon the standards, and also the latter may be adjusted toward and fromeach other for contracting or extending the structure with respect toits width.

To the standards A and cross-bars D E longitudinal strips G are secured,which may be in the form of fabric tapes, or perforated or pierced metalstrips, or wire. I prefer fabric tapes, as they readily receive ordinarypins or equivalent separate fastening devices for holding a curtain tothe standards and crossbars.

In practice a curtain is placed over the top bar C. to hang thereon atboth sides, and one end is secured to the tape on the bar D by pins orthe like, after which the side edges are similarly secured to the tapescarried by the standards A, the latter being adjusted apart to suit theWidth of the curtain. Finally, the remaining end of the curtain issecured IOO to the tape of the cross-bar E and the latter adjusted toexert the proper'tension on the curtain and secure it in position.

Sockets or holes d may be produced in one or both crossbars forreceiving removable lateral arms d', which may be utilizedas additionalmeans for holding clothes.

The top bar, it will be seen, serves to support the curtain in properposition for fastening the same, and thus leaves the attendant free toemploy both hands in fastening the curtain.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patentl. A combined curtain stretcher andclothes-drier comprising standards, a top bar to which the standards areadj ustably secured, and two stretcher-bars on opposite sides of thestandards, the standards being adj ustably secured to the bars and thebars vertically adjustable on the standards, substantially as described.

2. A combined curtain stretcher and clothes-drier comprising standardsprovided with feet, a top bar to which the standards are adj u'stablysecured, and two stretcher-bars provided with lateral arms, the saidbars being adjustable on the standards and the standards adjustable onthe bars, substantially as described.

3. In a combined curtain stretcher and clothes-drier, the combination,with two standards, of sockets fitting on the upper end of the standardsand provided with concave seats and binding-screws, brackets adjustablyse cured on the standards and provided with curved arms projecting fromopposite sides of the standards and forming seats and withbinding-screws, a top bar secured in the seats of the sockets, andstretcher-bars secured in the seats of the brackets, substantially asherein shown and described.

EDWARD NEWTON KENWOR'IHY. "Witnesses:

JOHN DOUGLAS RUTHERFORD, MARTHA KENWORTHY.

